Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life March Challenge
Poetry Friday round-up is with Renee at No Water River.
For a few days last week, most of my students attended the state Beta convention, so I had fewer students. I seized the moment to do something out of the ordinary.
One of my gifted teacher colleagues told me about the website Animal in You. This site has an online quiz that determines what animal you are most like.
Each student took the quiz. Then they wrote a blog post about their spirit animal. We also made masks on round cardboard discs. I had no idea how popular this activity would be. The news spread to the Beta kids, and they have been taking the quiz on their own time. It’s become a “thing.” I put the writing prompt into our padlet for Slice of Life challenge ideas.
This activity led to poetry. Here are a few student poems that emerged.
Eagles,
flying high,
touching the ocean blue sky
with their soft silk feathers.Eagles,
Bird of Prey,
you are majestic but carnivorous,
helping us keep balance.Eagles,
feathers soft as silk,
soar high and long
like love in my heart.
–Dawson, 4th grade
A note about Dawson’s writing: He wrote this on a scratch sheet of paper with words going all across the page, no form. Previously, Dawson’s poems have been silly and rhyming with little sense of poetic language. I held my tongue, knowing that more exposure would lead him, that I did not have to tell him about writing poems. I had to show him. The poetic format was done by me to show him his poem.
Roosters
Fierce and Strong
Protector of his home.
Fast like the wind
Soaring on land
With their butt feathers in the air.
Screaming,
“Predators over there!”–Trace, 5th grade
My youngest writer, Chloe wrote about life as a lion.
If I was a lion I would like to play and jump.
If I was a lion I would have a big circle of friends
If I was a lion I would like to play in the tall grassy fields.
If I was a lion I would like to play fetch with my friends.
If I was a lion I would like to slurp the water.
If I was a lion I would sleep all day.
If I was a lion I would eat a lot of gazelles.
Wouldn’t it be fun to be a lion? What animal would you like to be?
–Chloe, 2nd grade
Reflections on the Teche 
How fun! I took the quiz….I’m a rooster like Trace. Now I want to write a poem about a rooster too! What a fun activity. I’m going to share this with teachers at my school.
Beautiful poetry from an interesting writing idea. Love this!
Brilliant! My 2nd graders are just starting poetry and you gave me such a great reminder. When you showed the student’s work that has no form, I love how you shared that you had to bite your tongue and more exposure will lead him. Thank you for this honest comment and including that student’s work in your display.
I just took my own spirit animal quiz! Your padlet is wonderful!
I adore reading your students’ words, especially Dawson’s. Your post makes me want to take my own spirit animal quiz!
Eagles, roosters, and lions! I love it. These poems are wonderful, and I have to say, I got a little misty eyed seeing how you helped Dawson shape his words into a poem… life changing for a young writer! Thank you! Off to take the test. xo
I can see how this could become a thing. I am a Penguin. Witty, Meticulous, Intelligent, Dual-natured, Inscrutable, Self-conscious. I may have that put on a welcome mat. 🙂
Love this idea!
Hmm…I am a beaver. Okay, I’ll embrace that, even though my last name means rooster!
Love how you are gently helping Dawson find his poetry!
I’m a beaver, too, Mary Lee. I told my students that I build safe nests for them. You do, too!
Your students’ poetry is great! I’m sure they enjoyed creating the masks. Of course i had to complete the quiz. It was interesting ans fairly accurate, so my writing should focus on otters!
What fun that you did this, Margaret. The poems and masks are wonderful. I am a penguin, like Brenda, loved doing the quiz myself. Thanks!
My students are so excited that this “thing” is spreading. Some of them have taken it over and over again. They’re also trying tests for their inner bird and insect.
Oh, I love this! They must have had an absolute blast. And such cool poems. I will share your post with teacher friends. Whooo! Whooo! (Did you guess who I am?) xx
These are so much fun! I really appreciate what you said about letting kids grow and discover through exposure – showing, rather than telling!
Thanks. I’ve been holding back any judgement because I know this is not the way to grow a writer. Sometimes, though, you just want to tell them! Dawson chose to write a poem. It wasn’t a requirement, so I was even more pleased with his results. I think he is proud, too, even though he doesn’t like that his animal was an eagle.
This is terrific, Margaret! I love the poetry, but the masks are striking, too. I know my colleagues will want to try this. Like you and Mary Lee, I am a beaver.
What fun! Not sure that I’m too thrilled with being a bison. 🙂
What fun with the quiz and masks and writing! The poems remind me of the ekphrastic prompt with the totem from last month.
I love this…the art and poetry are great. I am going to share this website with my foster daughters. Who knows what they’ll come up with. 🙂
What fun! I am a beaver. My favorite line is in Trace’s poem “butt feathers in the air!” What a description. This would be fun to do a faculty meeting!
The “butt feathers” grabbed me too, Leigh Anne!
What a wonderfully rich lesson/activity! I’ll bet Dawson was thrilled to see how his words could be placed.
I am a penguin.
Ok, I’ve got to take this animal quiz! Curious to see what animal I am. Your students’ poems were all so unique and fun. Thank you especially for sharing Dawson’s original draft. I’m feeling more secure as I move ahead with my kinder poets and how to best help them with developing their style and form in writing.
It was our conversation that led me to include Dawson’s draft. He has not had enough exposure to seeing poetry to know to use line breaks. He has the poetic voice, though, which makes me happy.
What wonderful student poems. I see so many fantastic lessons and experiences with poetry in the elementary classroom that I wish I had as a child.
It sounds like such a memorable day at school! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
what fun — who could resist taking the animal quiz? Not me. Love the banner pic — brings back memories…
This is such a great activity. Of course, I had to take the quiz myself, and surprise, surprise, I’m a penguin too. This blog page is getting pretty crowded with beavers and penguins! Like others, I love how you transformed Dawson’s poem. I noticed that many of the older boys I worked with didn’t really have any sense of form or line breaks either. I wish I had more time with them—that would have been the next step. BTW, Margaret, I doubt that I’ll be doing another blog post about the boys at Sequel, but if you have specific questions about my experience with them, please feel free to email me.
An intriguing poem prompt–starting with the animal quiz– with such varied and thought out responses by your students Margaret. I liked the animal disc art they created too, thanks!
I truly love reading children’s poetry – they just see the world with such fresh eyes.
[…] wrote about Dawson last week, about how he was not using line breaks yet in his poems. I showed him how he could, and now […]